Estate Management

The Estate Management Division manages lands owned by the Commissioner of Lands. The Division's job includes the divestment of lands by the way of lease or sale, the acquisition of lands required for a public purpose and the management of land settlement schemes.

The clients of the Division are largely Government agencies and the occupants of land settlements.

Products and Services of the Estate Management Division:

Direct Acquisition – This is the acquisition of property by direct purchase on the open market on behalf of the Government of Jamaica’s ministries and agencies. This function is essential to the effective management of the Government’s real property portfolio and permits the government to acquire real property necessary for future development of infrastructure, provision of social facilities, urban upgrading, housing, commercial and industrial activities and environmental and historical preservation.

Compulsory Acquisition – This form of acquisition enables the government to acquire and take possession of lands essential to the public purpose under the terms and conditions of the Land Acquisition Act.

Acquisition by leasing – This is the acquisition of real property on behalf of the Government’s ministries and agencies by lease from the open market. This function is essential to the effective management of the government’s real property portfolio because it permits the Government to acquire accommodation in a flexible, cost efficient manner.

Administration of the Land Settlement Scheme – This programme was created by the Government as a means of distributing land. There are 307 properties that are subdivided into 49,900 individual lots between one to five acres primarily for agricultural use. The government has a contractual obligation with hundreds of settlers to administer the programme.

Administration of Project Land Lease – This programme originated in the 1970s with the objective of distributing land. There are about 2,000 active accounts under the programme and supports the National Land Policy initiatives to redistribute land to the poorer people in the society.

Administration of Crown Land Leases – the Government leases crown lands in order to maximise the use of land for agricultural purposes and to generate revenue. There are about approximately 200 parcels leased in this category, mostly for agricultural purposes. The administration of crown land leases represents an opportunity to generate revenue for the Government and helps in the utilization of land that would otherwise be vacant.

Divestment by sale – This service divests Government of Jamaica real property assets through sale.